A Thousand and One Nights
by KalGal
Summary: When her Lord is betrayed by his first wife, he decides a woman is only loyal for a single night. To stop killing of innocent girls in her village, Kagome volunteers to be the cruel Lord's newest bride. This is the tale of the master story-spinner who protected those who could not protect themselves by becoming the Lord's Thousand and First bride.
1. Zein ul Asnam and the Jinn King, Part I

**Disclaimer: I'm only saying this once, I do not own InuYasha nor the story Scheherazade from which this is based.**

One Thousand and One Stories

Story One- Zein ul Asnam and the Jinn King, Part 1

Kagome watched from under her hood, the woman that flung herself at her cage bars. Her once rich and famously dressed hair was downtrodden from the heat and her constant flailing. Along with her hair, he face was covered with white smears from where the sweat had cut tracks through her face paints and onto her torn gown. The fabric was thick and gilded with inlays of stones that shone like the sun. Her lugubrious shouts rung throughout the square but no one but she had stopped to hear the girl's wails.

Once the girl noticed her, she threw her arms out and cried for assistance. Kagome raised her hood and moved on, the sick feeling in her gut only intensifying as she moved farther and farther away from the woman's shrieks. Her dagger was pressed into belt and as she milled about the square, the laughs of the people surrounding her only further soured her mood.

Everyday she came to the square hopping that their Lord would take pity on the maidens but everyday she remained disappointed. With every yell, her anger grew and festered until she had to excuse herself from the vendors cart.

That morning the Lord's 999th bride was executed and another virgin was brought to his bed.

()()()()

Kagome dressed quietly and made her way to the kitchen. Her father sat at the table with a bowl of rice and a cup of tea. The leaves swam across the surface when pushed by the breeze from the open window. The execution had placed a burden upon his shoulders.

She sat down and her maid pressed the cup of tea into her hands. She drank quietly and watched her fathers forehead wrinkle and wondered just when he had got so old. When he caught her looking at him, he plastered on a smile and let his hand rest over hers.

"My dear daughter, what are your plans for today?" His smile faltered but only for a second before he sighed and brought her palm up to kiss it. Her lips tilted up at the affectionate gesture and he quickly dropped her hand when her sister slid effortfully down the stairs. Her black hair was up in a tasteful bun surrounded by flowers of different hues.

When her father started talking animatedly about the Lord's brother, her sisters soon to be husband, Kagome stood and excused herself from the table, throwing over her shoulder that she could be found at the library.

Her family waved her off and with a flick of her fingers, her hood hid her face from view. She made her way down the alleyways, purposely avoiding the square for fear of what she might find. Once reaching her destination, she climbed the sloping steps, pressing her fingers to her mouth before laying them on the head of the stone lion guarding the library.

The walls were ladened with books all shape and size. She had scoured the shelves for books of adventure and romance, excitement and intrigue. Her mind buzzed with the stories and when the scholars spotted her, they stood to make room for her books. They were always considerate when making room for her and her armfuls of volumes. They blushed when she thanked them.

Brushing the spines with her fingertips, she moved through the rows looking for a title that caught her eye. On the top shelf a small binding stuck out and she climbed the ladder with a practiced ease before plucking the book from its sheath.

She browsed the collections of stories and a few brought her up short because she recalled them from childhood. This book brought fond memories up through their faded pages. Quietly, she stood and nodded politely to the scholars who were watching her with rapture.

As she left, she braced herself for the screaming and crying she knew would assault her senses once she entered the square but once arriving she pinpointed the oddities. People swarmed the cage and she slid her way into the crowd. The local Gabbai leaned over to whisper into his neighbor's ear giving Kagome the whole of their conversation.

"They seem to get younger every year," He frowned and crossed his arms before shaking his head and stepping back, "My daughter is the same age and if we had not yet married her off, I would be worried for her life."

"With the number of maidens dwindling, I'm concerned no new children will be born," He replied, following he tax collector from the mass of squirming bodies, many of who were the poor looking for a source of entertainment to brighten their dull existence. When she finally broke the line surrounding the cage, her breath rushed out of her lungs as if she was hit.

The small child in the cage was crying silently to herself. Her red eyes matched the crimson of her gown. Unlike he others, her makeup was still pristine because also unlike the other girls, the child refused to cry. Kagome could feel her anger bubble over.

As she stared furiously at the trapped and condemned child, a plan took form in her mind and grew and expanded as the sight of the child fueled her fury. Like a mythical creature of war, she spun around and strode from the square. The people parted for her as if she was pestilence.

Her face was set in a frown and her light mood from this morning was but vapors above her head. Her plan would require her fathers approval and her sister assistance. The more she thought about this, the stronger her determination became; so much so that when she marched into her home, her maid dropped the cup she was cleaning and her father choked on his tea.

As the lady swept the shattered ceramic and her father dabbed the drink from his beard Kagome declared her plan in simplest terms she knew would catch their attention.

"I wish to be the Lord's next bride."

()()()()

Her idea was met with cries of protest and smothered gasps. Her father had grabbed her arms and demanded she cease her foolishness before snatching her books away and telling her to retreat into her room for some much needed rest. Kagome took the order with much resistance.

When supper was sent to her room, the portion was only a moiety of what she would have normally consumed if she had been seated at their dinning table. The fish was cold from having been out on the table for so long but the tea was sweet and the maid had dropped a dollop of honey into the bottom though she was sure her father would have told her not to. Her only company were the cats who smelt her food and shimmied the gilded pillars leading up to her wide terrace. Her fingers picked at the food and divided it up amongst the three felines and herself.

Her bed held little interest for her so she remained on her mounds of pillows and blankets she had yanked from her mattress and made into a chair out her window. After filling their bellies, the cats purred around her hands before falling asleep all around her with one curled about her neck, another her lap, and the last at her feet. It was much past midnight when her sister slipped into the room.

"I tried to dulcify father. What did you ask?" She waved her hands about her head before finally looking over at her sister. Kikyo's styled hair was slightly mused and her lip color was smeared on her collar, reminding Kagome that her sister was soon to be married. "He was so exacerbated her refused to tell me."

"I told him I wished to become the next bride of our Lord," She omitted her sisters shocked gasp and growled in frustration when her sister squatted down by her and ran a worried hand down her arms.

"You don't have to, I told you I will talk to my fiancé about it!" Her shaking of her non-responsive sister was disconcerting and she pulled her chin to face hers. "Kagome, it is nether your job nor your duty to be the savior of everyone."

"Sister dearest," Kagome's snide tone was not directed to her sister but nevertheless, she cringed. "I'm not offering myself up as sacrificial lamb. I have a plan but I need you and father to, for once in your lives, just listen."

Kikyo ran a ran down the girl's hair. After their mother had passed, they had become rather close, with both sisters clinging to the other for emotional support considering their father was a quiet man. The eldest of the two, Kagome, took her death the hardest, while Kikyo was also saddened by the lost, she had bonded more with her reserved father and less with their outgoing mother.

"Is this about Mother's Day of Passing that is coming soon?" Kikyo whispered, worried to see tears in her sister's eyes. "You know he will ask you to dance again; he says you may dance even better than mother did."

"Father was blinded by love, mother couldn't dance to spare her life," Kagome laughed and the two fell into a comfortable silence. They held their hands and after what felt to be an eternity, Kagome spoke. "This is not about mother. It is about the sixteen year old girl that was killed tonight."

At mention of he 1000th bride, Kikyo quieted and leaned in close, telling her sister the young girl's name. They cried for her family and prayed for her soul to find peace in the garden of the gods. A time later, they both stood with the opposite cleaning the other off. Kagome straitened her sisters collar that had fell into disarray while Kikyo was picking at the wrinkles in her sleeves.

"You can tell me all about this plan of yours at the celebration," At the mention of the party thrown in the already deceased girl's honor, both sisters faces painted themselves into grim frowns. Kikyo fixed her sisters hair and Kagome returned the favor, wanting her sister to glow when she saw her fiancée tonight.

Once they reached the bottom of the stairs in fresh clothing and reapplied make-up, their father scowled at the defiant glint to his eldest's eyes. He knew she would be trouble but he'd had hoped that spark of disobedience was snuffed out after his late wife had passed. He only wished her to remain safe.

"I hope you have disregarded that silly notion you were spewing earlier," He grabbed the handles of the woven basket containing offerings to their Lord and patron. His daughters followed behind him and out the door.

"Quite the opposite father, it seems I have gained an ally," The sisters shared a conspirators smirk and linked arms before brushing past their father who heaved a sig before rolling his eyes.

()()()()

The grand celebrate was held within the wide halls of the palace. Columns lined the path winding up the hill to the arched doors, each pillar wrapped in rich fabric and flowers. The steady hum of people filled the air and the thrum of music flowed from the open windows and into the pavilion. Twin fountains gurgled as guests made their way in, their gowns and suits bright hues and made from expensive fabric. Side conversations made the ballroom a den of muffled words so loud most of the music was almost lost within it.

Kagome let her dress trail behind her as she made her way through the throngs of people. They parted for her but all their conversations ceased, as if they suspected her of being a spy for The Lord. He would easily behead anyone who talked badly about him.

The polished tiles floor gleamed under the candlelight and she wondered absentmindedly if anyone would mind her retreating into the library until her sister was available. At the mention of her sibling, Kagome looked over to the door where she and her fiancée were greeting newcomers. They would shake hands then, when no one was looking, he would lean in and steal a kiss or to whisper something into her ear. They giggled like children and Kagome frowned.

If her plan worked like it should, than she would never get the kind of lover her sister and her companion had. She would be forever bound to a man who felt no guilt over killing children. Her freedom, rights, hopes, and dreams would be striped from her and replaced by steel manacles called matrimony. With a deep sigh, she removed a cup of wine from a passing servant and sipped at the liquor. The burn of false courage flared through her.

The Lord still had refused to enter, choosing instead to inform the waiting crowd that he wished to remain locked in his study to finish matters of the surrounding lands. With a final look at her sister and then to her father, who was talking animatedly to his friends, she slipped into a roped off hallway and into the vast labyrinth that was sprawled out before her.

()()()()

It was late into the night before she made a reappearance. Her search had been fruitless, and she was rather disappointed she could not locate a library nor a garden on the premise. Her days would be rather dull if not properly entertained. She pushed off thoughts of being killed before sunrise tomorrow.

With a sigh, she mulled through throngs of people all dressed for the occasion. She settled down in the back, her now empty glass placed on the table before her. A few men wandered past, their eyes lingering on her bare ring finger then come to rest on her serene face. Even the ignorant could tell the look of those heading to war.

"If you could please stand for our Lord," A short man announced, and the group broke into hesitant applause, some going as far as raising their glasses.

A man walked from a hallway. His hair was pulled up to the top of his head in tail that showcased his neck and throat. His eyes scanned the crowd and noted their astounded gasps at just how closely he resembled his father.

The current Lord's predecessor was, if possible, worse that his son. They both took many woman to bed, but it was widely known, the current Lord would never take a woman by force. Kagome mused over this while running a finger over the lip of her glass. He was also more lenient when it came to taxes. She snorted, if he would cease killing girls their country would be flourishing.

"We are asking for which of you woman would become the Lord's One Thousandth and First bride," The little toad exclaimed and a few girls straitened their backs and prepared to stand. Now was not the time to loose her backbone. She straitened her dress and stood, taking a lat sip of her drink and ignoring the shocked looks for the bowing people around her. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Kagome," She responded plainly, catching the pity in the faces of the crowd as she looked around the room. When the toad squeaked at her to gaze straight at him, she only let her smile curve into a smirk. "Is my request denied?"

The Lord looked at her. She was rather plain with a hairstyle that had become loose during the party, allowing a few strands to flutter in to her face. Her dress was not as high quality as the other women but there was a spark that was light behind her brown eyes. It was fearlessness mixed with a sly, cunning nature. He could feel a smirk tugging on the corner of his lips.

He almost felt bad he would be the death of something so fair.

"Return at sunset tomorrow. Tonight is for celebration," And with that, he swept out of the room, holding the woman's gaze for as long as he could before the hallway hid his form. His assistant wattled behind him and he pushed down the need to kick the toad. "Who was she?"

"Daughter to your Advisor," He muttered, his voice bouncing off the stark walls. The woman's smirk made a cool hand clench in his gut. In the beginning, a few of the women he bedded would be cocky or coy, trying to make themselves be memorable in hopes of The Lord coming to love them. Oh, how they were sorely mistaken. "He is also the resident executioner."

"It is a wonder her father allowed this, his job protects his family," The Lord mussed to no one, ignoring the toad who was so often terrible company. Why would a protected woman willingly sacrifice herself? She seemed smart enough if that flash of intelligence he saw burning in her was any indication, so why put herself in a situation that has but one macabre ending?

"She is strange," He bundled up his thoughts on he woman in one sentence and forced them to the back of his mind. He had work to do and he needs no distractions, most assuredly not a beautiful enigma who had the gall to openly challenge him.

He moved down the hall with an inhuman grace, not thinking about the woman who was completely on his mind.

()()()()

"I had to!" Kagome defended, shoving another outfit into her case. She would be needing as many as she could carry.

"I said we would talk about it during the party!" Her father hissed, his anger palpable in the air around her. When she neither responded nor turned to look at him, he roughly grabbed her shoulders. She shoved him away, his hands coming to rest by his sides.

"Don't touch me!" She could feel the tears welling behind her eyes and cursed the gods. She promised herself she would cry only when completely alone. "I need to do this! Those girls who lay crying and whimpering in those cages need someone, a victor to stop this madness our leader sees fit to put us through!"

"Do not question the gods judgment!" Her father yelled and she huffed in annoyance before going back to shoving things into her bag. He made to grab her wrist but she smacked his hand away. "Do you not see how hopeless is situation is?"

"Father..." She noted the pain that laced his voice. He had lost his wife and now he felt as if he was loosing both his daughters, tho one more so than the other. He placed a callused palm on her cheek, his skin cracked from the ax he used to behead the poor woman who could never stand up to the Lord's first wife. "I know I can stop this if you could just let me."

"Have faith?" He muttered, tracing her eyes that were the same shape as his late wife's. His Kagome so resembled her mother that sometimes he caught himself doing a double take when she breezed into a room, sure his wife had just risen from the grave. But he never told her this.

"Have trust," She placed her scared hand on his, the warmth doing nothing for the chill that seemed to seep into his bones at the thought of her before the Lord.

"Than that is what I will do," He muttered, his voice cracking when a few stray tears slipped from her eyes and rolled across his hand. He cried too, joined by Kikyo when she peeked in from the bathroom.

The family cried for loss and pain of loosing a mother, a wife. They cried for their missing options but most of all, the cried for having hope.

()()()()

The room she was lead to was sparsely decorated but the large bed placed in the center of the room was what caught her eyes. It was layered with gold sheets that shimmered red with the setting sun and made it almost look like liquid fire. The four large posts held up thick curtains that fell down to the ground.

The balcony door was open and the curtains billowed in the gentle breeze that wafted in. A table and two chairs were shoved into a corner to make room for a rather large dest. It was scattered with papers and she found herself rather intrigued. The numbers were a jumble of facts that she could decipher given time. She was rather slow when it came to numbers.

The whole wall across from the balcony was covered with books. The shelves were ladened with the tomes, some bright colored scrolls wrapped in golden thread, others printed copies of books with thick leather skin and crisp pages. She caught the spine of a particular book, its cover folded many times and the pages were marked. It looked to be constantly read. The cover told it to be one of her favorites as well.

"You came to take a book you cannot even read?" The Lord muttered from behind her. She resisted the urge to spin around. She would not let him win. With her coy smile, she turned around and read aloud the foreword, not catching the raised eyebrows of the man leaning on the door.

"'There was once in the city of Bassora a mighty Sultan,'" She threw a look over to him and was still watching her with keen eyes. "'And he was exceedingly rich, but he had no children who should be his successor after him."' She skipped a few lines, picking up a few sentences in. "One night of the nights he lay with the queen and she went from him with child."

Kagome tossed the book onto the desk, moving around the room reciting the tale from memory with her own twist on the words. She caught the amused smirk he sent her way when the tome fell onto the wood.

"He rejoiced, his prayers answered by the gods," She placed her hands on the wooden bedpost and looked him in the eye when she talked. "Once the time of birth was upon them, the Sultan called to the geomancers who smote the sand and the astrologers who looked to the heavens to answer the Sultan's many questions about the babe, unborn."

He moved forward, leaning a hand out to press into the wood of the post and locking the woman into the cage of his arms. Surprisingly, she seemed at ease and her smirk caused his mouth to open and words to pour forth.

"They told of the child's bravery and riches he was to acquire. The child born male was said to be beautiful and the Sultan named him Zein ul Asnam. Sands flew from the great hourglass and when the child reached maturity, his father called him to his bedside.

"The Sultan was plagued by a sickness that no gods could prevent. He told his son to be kind, to rule with the strength of his forefathers before passing into the next realm. Do you want to know the real story, the one the book does not tell?" She whispered, her hands crossed behind her back and her smile causing her face to twist in amusement. He raised an eyebrow which she interpreted as acceptance. "He squandered his fathers money on pleasures of the skin and drink, leaving matters of the state to those under him. After a time, the people revolted and showed him the error of his ways. It was only due to the wit of his Queen mother he retained his head."

She smirked and slipped out of his hold, her eloquent words trailing behind her like a vail. He followed her, not caring if this felt like a surrender. This woman was strange. Most whimpered when he came close, she merely smiled. When he looked up, she was perched on the railing, looking out to the sun that dipped under the horizon. She would be getting tired soon and even if he did not sleep, he knew she would need to.

"So, to pay penance to the gods for his folly, he traveled to Cairo where a vision of an elder man told him of his valence and the riches he he would obtain if he ventured home. So he returned," He had never heard this part and he watched as her rich chestnut hair fluttered between them, a slight red tint from the setting sun. "The stories diverge from here. Some say he comes by the gold in his hall in the early hours of morn, others claim it was delivered by golden steads ten feet tall. I prefer the last claim, that he stumbles upon it in his fathers fault. With the riches his and his mind and will strong against the temptation of the money and jewels, his mother and he ventured in, discovering a vault deep below their feet. Once finding a missing image among eight others. He vowed to find it in Cairo."

Ash the sun set, the room was plunged into darkness. She fluttered about the room, her plain dress swishing around her feet as her mouth told the story of Zein al Asnam. Her nimble fingers lit a match and guided the flame to the wick. The candle jumped to life in the holder, sending the room into shadows. Once she lit the others scattered around the room, the golden bed was sent into dark tones and the Lord with it. The shadows complemented the smooth planes of his face almost as much the sunlight did.

The woman on the other hand, looked too much like a ghost with her dark hair and large eyes. The shadows collected in the curve of her pert nose and the hollows of her eyes making her face look eerily similar to a skull. Her lightly tanned skin was different from the pale complexion of the women at court. A predatory light flashed into his eyes as she blew the match out, her pink lips compressed.

She continued spinning her tale, each word more addicting than the last and left him hungering for more. A few times, he stood to join her as she traversed the room, but she simply smiled and pressed him back down onto the bed, her small fingers remarkably strong. She explained the grandeur of the city, of the old slave that helped him find the hiding place for the treasures taken by the Jinn. She spoke of the towering pillars and sloping mosaics that were displayed proudly above their heads.

"The palace was decorated with the ribs of fish, the pale white flashing from great distances. An army of Jinn* stood guard, their sharpened spears glinting in the high sun. The watched the approaching travelers with weary eyes and twitching fingers," She was about to continue when she glanced out the window.

The sun was gathering on the horizon, signaling the approach of dawn. He was about to demand she continue when she sighed and went for her bag, plucking sleeping garments from the piles of fabrics.

"What are you doing?" He questioned, the tone confused. She just looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He was pleasantly surprised to note she showed none of the weariness he knew she felt. He did not inform her of this tho, he was cold and detached. A Lord.

"I do not tell stories after dawn or before sunset," She responded, reading herself for a nice long nap after staying awake all night. At the angry growl that torn its way from his stomach, he pressed a clawed hand to her throat, a silent threat. He watched as the sensual creature in his grasp became still, her once bright eyes hardening to orbs of fire. "You think to threaten me? Please, you want to know the ending to the story as much as I want to end all of this senseless killing."

He realized that was why she was here. She wanted to stop the flow of woman into his bed. He laughed, letting his clawed slipping down to rest on her exposed shoulder. He didn't catch the hitch her breathing took when his breathy chuckle blew across her lips. She wondered if he tasted like wine.

With a start, she stopped that train of thought. How many countless others had come before her, thinking the same thoughts? Which of them thought they could change this beast of a man before her? She was different, she saw the anger that swam in his eyes but also the power that twirled about his form.

"Why do you laugh?" She huffed out, her shoulder becoming warm under his palm. The skin was callused, most assuredly from his sword. She caught his eye and gasped when the iris was rimmed with red. She stopped her feet from back stepping and instead, leaned forward.

"I laugh because you are strange," He was again, taken back, by her forwardness. He had shown his anger to a very select few and most on that list were dead or wish they were so. Only a handful had lived to tell the tale and only she leaned forward to get a better look. "What is is you want from me?"

"To live," She stated bluntly. She bit her lip between her teeth and waited for his anger. She had mentally prepared herself for a beating or at least some sort of abuse. What she got was a laugh that bounced off the chamber walls.

"You clever minx," He hissed and she felt her mouth drop open when she realized he had said it as a complement. His mouth was turned up into a mock smirk, the normal humor striped from it making it appear more threatening than she thought a grin could be. "You have crafted a deal with the devil."

()()()()

The palace awoke slowly, assured they would have to drag a whimpering girl from the Lord's chambers. They expected the door to be propped open as always with the girl crying in the hall but were met with locked chambers and no girl. The executioner had been called and he now stood to he right of the toad, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

They refused to feel hope when the door was closed and no open sobbing could be heard. The toad knocked on the door and it was abruptly opened on the first knock. The Lord stood with his chest bare, a white training uniform clutched in his hand. The two guards to the toads back made to come it but were abruptly stopped by hands to their chest.

No one said a word, absorbing the meaning behind the gesture. It could mean he killed the girl or...he approved of her. The toad thought the former.

The Lord opened he door slightly, giving the girl's father a clear view of his daughter, sprawled across the bed in her sleeping attire, her hair spread across the pillow. The four men watched with woe as he slipped the shirt over his head and shut the door behind him. The guards dispersed and the toad shuffled to get before his Lord before chatting amicably about the day ahead. The Lord could feel the stare of his closest advisor on the back of his skull.

"Was...was she...did she...?" The man tried to push words from his mouth but they sounded vile on his tongue. He had always respected his Lord for the power and ability to lead, but the thought of him with his daughter, he felt the need to kill something. "I just mean is she...ok?"

"Besides being rather tired from fabricating stories she knew should make me loose track of time, she is fine," At the horrified gasp behind him, he glanced over his shoulder to see the man looking at him with fear. He responded with a smile that appeared to be more a pained grimace. "You raised a hellcat, Advisor, one I intend to tame."

Lord Sesshomaru strutted forward, ignoring the father's laughter that followed him down the hall.

Jinn- Intelligent spirt under angels in Arabian and Muslim mythology

*This is un-beta'ed so quite a few mistakes are mixed in.

**This is a new story I'm writing based on the wonderful myth of Scheherazade(whom you should check out) and my own imagination. Enjoy.**


	2. Zein ul Asnam and the Jinn King, Part II

One Thousand and One Nights

Story One- Zein ul Asnam and the Jinn King, Part II

When the sun glanced over her closed eyelids, she was roused from sleep. With a yawn that shook her down to her bones, she stretched and stood. The candles were burning low in their sconces, their small flames flickering with the little bit of wick they had left. She padded on bare feet over to the cabinet built into the wall and pulled new candles from inside. She walked around, blowing each out and replacing them as she went.

The small table in the corner of he room was covered in different food stuffs, each looking expensive. She sighed and plucked an apple from a pile, biting into it with vigor before wiping the juice on her sleeve. She chewed quietly before noticing he rather large box hastily shoved through the door.

Her eyebrows rose and she strutted quickly to the box, yanking the top of and peering inside. Bundles of plush fabric were folded compactly inside, their bright colors almost making her eyes hurt. She grabbed the top dress, its extensive beading causing the dress to rattle in her hands. She gave a soft smile and moved to stand before a floor length mirror. The dress was bold and she frowned when it seemed to look much too grand for her plain brown hair and simple features.

She tossed the gown onto the bed and reached for her bag, the worn fabric of one of her dresses making the tightness in her chest ease a bit. She looked in the mirror once more, her face frowning when the dull green skirt swirled about her ankles. She huffed in annoyance, she was the Lady of the West, she was strong!

"Oh bother, if that man spoils me anymore, I'll be similar to him!" She smiled and yanked on the door handle, the smooth wood feeling cool in the warm room. When she opened the door, she was met with the eyes of a child. The girl smiled and laughed. Kagome kneeled to look more closely at the child who was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "And who are you?"

"Mi'Lord's ward!" The girl cried, her hair slipping out of the intricate knot her flustered caretaker must have done. Kagome reached out and undid the poorly clipped style, choosing instead to pull a slice of hair out of the child's face and into a small tail. Again, the child squealed, throwing herself at a surprised Kagome. "You're perfect!"

"For what, may I inquire?" She chuckled when a servant wandered past to watch the Lord's ward tackle his new bride. The man looked flustered and looked both ways before hastily racing off down an opposing corridor.

"My new mother!" Kagome's gut squeezed when she watched the child's eyes light up. Did the public know that their beloved Lord'd had an illegitimate child?

She stood, gabbing the girl's hand and walking with her, listening to the child talk animatedly about everything and everyone her little mind could think of. Kagome nodded at the appropriate intervals and gasped when one was called for. Overall, the child, who's name turned out to be Rin, was sweet and Kagome was quite taken with her.

It was late into the evening after a small meal that she found her way to his study. The massive doors rivaled those of his chambers and when she knocked politely, she caught the flash of silver as he raised his head to greet the new arrival. To say he was slightly taken back was an understatement.

While she was enamored with the works of art that decorated his walls and the books that were neatly arranged on the shelves, he watched her with stark interest. She trailed her fingers across the spines and smiled quaintly when a single tome caught her eye.

"You are welcome to my library," He stated and was rewarded with a laugh. She nodded and spun around to show him the cover of the book she had plucked from his collection. It was a ridiculous painting of a woman and a dragon. "A child's story book?"

"This book was the first book I ever read," She moved silently to sit on the side of his desk. He wondered if she realized how close she was. He watched as she ran her hand down the cover, as tho finding a hidden meaning in the curling script that the rest of the world had somehow missed.

He noticed with annoyance that she wore a drab gown that was in no way befitting of her new status. He was about to demand an explanation when she opened her mouth, the words of the book sounding hauntingly beautiful when coming from her lips. He had read that particular story a few times when Rin refused to sleep but coming from her mouth, he wondered of he could ever read the story the same way again. She reached the middle of the story and stilled, as if realizing he was next to her.

"You have a nasty habit of stopping things. Maybe I change my mind, what say you to my killing you tomorrow, after you finish your story?" He asked, genuinely curious to how she would respond. This woman was strange and enticing.

"Oh my dear Lord," She stood, closing the book with a decisive snap before placing back into its place on the shelf. With dainty steps and clasped hands, she made her way to the door throwing over her shoulder, "that's what all the villains say."

He couldn't stop the satisfied smirk that pulled at his lips.

()()()()

Kagome walked the gardens a bit, thinking over the rest of the story and deciding how she would end it. The Lord seemed to like battle and gore,so she could just kill the man off, but then the point of the story would be lost. She pondered a while longer, her shoes held in her hands so her feet could feel the grass underfoot.

A servant raced across the yard, her bound hair popping out. Her labored breathing inhibiting her ability to talk. Kagome simply waited for the girl to relax and deliver her message. As the girl explained that the Council wished to speak to Kaogme, she could feel her blood run to ice. She straitened her back, her spine protesting. Her lips tightened into harsh lines and her chin was thrust forward.

She was the Lady of the West and no one, especially a gathering of elderly men, were going to demand anything from her. She smiled when the pride she had often seen of the faces of men flooded her system. It was little wonder why The Lord was so content with himself.

"Take me to them."

()()()()

"Lady Kagome, please stand," The leader called, his pipe smoke curing around his bald head. He smiled and eyed her up and down. She could feel the eyes of many other members of the Council and only one, her father's, made her feel any relief. "You made the correct choice coming."

"I rarely make incorrect choices," She lifted her chin in an act of defiance. A few men scrunched their noses and a few others seemed even more attracted. She could feel the vomit rolling around in her stomach but she clamped down her panic. If these men saw weakness, they would exploit it. "You asked me here for a reason, one I rather doubt has anything to do with my correctness."

"Quick wit on you," The leader placed his pasty lips over the pipe before blowing out. The smoke swam around her face but even when here eyes started to water, she only blinked and raised a brow. "We came to inquire your connection to the Lord."

"By which you mean if I am with child?" She could feel her blood boiling and her face must have shown that because a sympathetic member tried to convince her that was not what they meant. The Leader simply laughed, his large stomach bouncing. "Frankly, it is neither your business nor your problem."

"Lord Sesshomaru requires an heir and as of now, it is your sole duty to provide him with one. If you can not, you shall be killed for treason," The leader watched her with half-lidded eyes. She realized with sickening dread that she hadn't anticipated that he would need an heir. The forgotten tears threatened to fall but by sheer will power, she blinked them away, her stance shifting from one of defense to one of attack.

"My interactions with my husband are of no concern to you and your men. We are new to each other so if your expectation is that I am already with child then you are not only stupid, but also ignorant." She strode from the room, her back strait and her face forward. Her father watched his daughter march away and wondered how he had missed just how powerful his daughter was.

"She will not last a week," One member called, his gruff outburst made him cringe. He held back his rage. The leader watched her walk away, it eyes trailing her around the corner in a way that had his blood curdling. "If not the day. She is not a noble nor a royal."

"That is the difference. You were trained to be a noble," Her father smiled at he men with a smirk that had their blood running cold. "She was born to be royal."

He smiled when a few men agreed.

()()()()

Kagome folded her clothes into a neat pile, moving on to the Lord's. He was carefully untangling himself from the complex robes he had been forced into by the Council. They remained silent, neither wanting to shatter the carefully crafted treaty that was between them. Even now, late into the night, the hustle of the servants outside the door was loud.

Kagome pressed her hands to her flat stomach to hold down her quivering meal. She chastised herself and reminded her traitorous body that it was not to be her last. When she felt the brush of another's breath on her neck, a small smirk curled her lips. At least this was not uncharted territory. A man's desires were easily seen even when they wished to remain hidden.

"The story?" His growl was directed at her throat and she simply tilted her head a breath and listened as he chuckled. "What a strange woman you are."

"Where was I?" She ignored his last comment, choosing instead to strut to the open window. She placed a finger to her chin and waved to the bed when he moved to follow her. The Lord, patron and god-like entity to thousands, snorted as he followed the directions given to him by a girl barley into her twenty first year. "Oh yes, the hordes of jinn.

"Sadly, he was coming to the King of the Jinn to seek the ninth image. You do remember the story, correct?" She looked over she shoulder and smiled when he nodded. "He dressed himself in silks and jewels so he marveled even the sun that rose hight in the sky. He called forth by the name of his father and with him he brought a man who could speak to the Jinn, one who sung out calls to keen ears. Through raging torrents they stood before a voice so strong and sure that it rivaled even the Creator, spoke.

"He told the young prince of his dealing with his father, of his deal that he would grant him protection. Strength," She moved forward and unraveled the drapes from their poles. The thin fabric blew into the room and hid her form from view. Her voice rang out strong even in the mass of fabric. "He granted him the ninth image on one term."

With that, she slipped between a sheet so that her gauzy image could be seen behind a single slip. He leaned forward, putting little room between their bodies. She looked up and caught his molten stare while he watched her eyes glow in the lowlight. Her cheeks were flushed with fear. Or excitement.

"The Jinn king demanded a girl of only fifteen years with beauty that made gods weep. She was to be pure as a desert flower with no lust to her soul. That was the payment the King of the Jinn required and it 'twas that Prince Zein ul Asnam was resolved to find," For a single moment, she refused to breath, wondering if he had grown tired of the story. With mental tact she used more often as of late, she revised her story, skimping the things she found dull and adding a dash of adventure. "He traveled for miles in every direction seeking out the fairest of the fair and purest of the pure.

"He found his desire in a small town with the help of a devote man who revered the Jinn King," She tilted her head to the side and left just a breath-length between them. With careful delicacy, she let the fabric billow around them. "The girl was pure as the sun, her hair holding a thick and heathy shine, her eyes gleamed with mirth, and her aura in the mirror shone as brightly as a polished stone."

Sesshomaru almost lost his resolve and reached out. His bride's voice had dropped to a whisper, her detailed description swirled around his head. The woman thought herself plain, her drab dresses and thin-soled shoes placing her below were she belonged. His mouth pulled into a smirk. She belong by his side.

She had twisted her way to his side, made a man predisposed to receiving everything he asked for and more into excepting something he never knew he needed. It was a shame she would die tonight. After she finished her story and the plot ended and the characters were given reprieve, he would hand this woman over to his guards and she would be beheaded. He wondered why this though gave him pause.

He never really wished to kill them, but he must, otherwise they would betray him. This thought also gave him an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. Focusing instead on the minx who had found her way into his bed, he let his worries slip between his fingers, and let he words she spoke twist their way into his mind.

"She was married to a man under a false name. She was cheerful to be wed to such a mighty man!" She threw her arms up in a sort of triumphant gesture. It made him think of her in warriors' garb. She could easily had looked the part of a warrior. "Sadly, she lamented the lost when she found she was not to be married to a Prince, but a King of Jinn. For days, she cried into the night, her voice lost in the endless dunes."

"But as all good wives, she persevered. She attempted asking for help for the prince which only resulted in her being crushed when he denied," She looked over her shoulder, her deep eyes showing the sadness she felt for the fictional woman. With the drapes fluttering around her along with the flapping of her night dress, she looked to be a ghost. "The woman raised her head when she was placed before the King of the Jinn. She silently cried when he told her of her beauty and how perfect she was. She knew what she was."

He knew this was a barb, cleverly hidden in a story of her creation. She caught his gaze.

"She was strong," It was not a question but a fact. One blink and the vision was lost. She turned to face the door and moved about the room quietly, her slipper clad feet scuffing on the wooden floor. She circled the room and crawled on the bed. He suspected she might try to seduce him like many before her, but she chose instead to plant herself at his back. Her shoulders felt warm pressed to his spine. "So she watched with solemn eyes as the man once proclaimed to be her husband left her."

All was silent, her words swirling around the room. He wanted to ask if that was the end of the story and if she was ready to die but he held his tongue. The way she stated them was almost a pause, not an ending. He waited for a minute before his patients ran short.

"Is that all?" He could feel the disappointing twitch in his heart that the tale ended in such a mundane way.

"Oh heavens no. I paused for dramatic effect, good no?" She glanced over at his growl before sighing in what sounded to him as exasperation. "The prince felt overwhelming guilt, that was to be expected, I suppose. He cried over his previously unknown love for a woman he had handed over to the King of the Jinn.

"His solecism cost him the one thing he wanted. The beautiful lady had slipped from his fingers like sand, and he expressed his sorrow through sonnets and poems, crying out to an unhearing woman. Telling her in words on paper, that he loved her," The woman went quiet behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to catch her fiddling with her hands in her lap. He looked up and he watched the skin around her eyes crinkle as she smiled slightly, making her tanned skin shine with a flash of bright teeth. "When he grew angry at himself for believing he had given his only desire for a simple image, he cried to the heavens to give him his prize, the ninth image."

"His wish, was it granted?" He lowered his voice, feeling unsure if he would like the ending to this story. He reasoned it would make deposing of the woman easier.

"The thunder that followed shook the building to its core. The tiles shattered on the ground, pillars cracked and splintered. Wooden beams snapped and the palace was sent into chaos. Only a select few realized the thunder had not come from the sky, but the ground, deep within the vault beneath their feet.

"Prince Zein ul Asnam raced to his vault, his few loyal servants and his mother trailing behind. They found the room bathed in the light of Jinn, their light setting the precious stones in the walls alight. They parted and forward walked the woman, her hair a shimmering blue from the reflected powers of the Jinn. Her face was bare of its covering, allowing her beauty to shine forth, uninhibited.

"You see, she was the ninth image, too beautiful to capture in a portrait. She was to be his bride seeing as he had done everything asked of him by the King of the Jinn. He had fallen in love with her during their journey but placed the King before himself. The King determined this to mean he was just as great a man as his father before him, and granted, once again, his protection over the future King of Bassora." She stood with delicate steps and moved over to his folded pile of clothes. She ran a hand over the fine fabric. "He granted him the one thing he wished for, the woman who had stolen his heart."

He stood as well, moving between the long lengths of cloth. He wondered how she traversed them so easily while being so clumsy elsewhere. The room was still in shadows and he could see the hollow of her throat constrict as she held back what looked to be tears but when he stood before her, she was dry-eyed.

"They married and after his mother passed and they morned her properly, they became the rulers of the kingdom granting mercy when others saw prosecution, hope where others saw hopelessness. Love where only hate bloomed."

She looked over her shoulder, her face becoming sharp planes and angles in the candlelight. With the breeze, the flames flickered and were constantly shifting the look of her face. Her white dress flapped around her ankles and the gauzy fabric wrapped around her body.

"The end." She finished, her voice almost silent in the night. He moved forward and marveled at how not an ounce of fear flashed behind her eyes. She never moved, never wavered, and simply waited until he stood before her, his dark golden night garb clashing with her light.

She expected harsh words and biting grips but was unprepared for the gentle touch he used to lead her to the bed. He sat her on the bedside and kneeled before her, careful slipping her slippers from her feet. He looked up to see her inquisitive stare.

"It may come to a shock, but I am capable of kneeling," He smirked and she smiled slightly, her teeth flashing under her lips before she reached her hands out and cupped his cheek. She ran a finger across his jaw and down to the column of his neck.

"There once was a King of the Fey who had hair as silver as moonlight. Tho this eyes were said to be a deep green, their hue similar to moss," She caught his eye and realized she was giving him a chance. He could refuse to listen, not allow her to tell her story and spin himself any deeper into her web.

It was then he noticed the desperate edge to her face. Her mouth was tight and her eyes were narrowed. She was not worried for herself, but the women that would come after her. That might share his bed. She had thrown out a lifeline for him to catch or refuse. He clutched it tightly.

"Did he wish for a bride as well?" He asked and her joyous laugh resonated in their chambers.

()()()()

When he awoke the following morning, he looked over to the woman clutching the blankets to her chest. In the morning light, he wondered how such a small girl could ingrain herself within his life in such a short time. He couldn't find it in his mind to be angry with her, she was too clever for him to be angry. If anything, he should amend her on her ability to manipulate him to such a degree and still come out from it such a pure creature.

He stood and walked to the wardrobe. He opened the large doors and was unaccustomed to the long row of women's dresses that lined one always empty wall. He mused that it seemed fitting. He reached for his saddlebag and began filling it with things he would need while out fortifying the border.

He looked over his shoulder at the woman warming his bed. It was a strange feeling knowing he would have someone to return to. His fingers stilled as they ghosted over a particularly beautiful gown. It was one of the lesser gowns he'd had bought for her but as he let the fabric settle in his hands, he knew she would appreciate the care placed in every needle stitch. He draped it over his arm before laying it out on a chair beside the bed.

He grabbed a quill from his desk and wrote a small note to her, if only because she had been so clever last night. He smirked at her relaxed brow and a chin too square to be called classically beautiful. This lead to him admiring her other features. Her eyes were too far apart and her nose was pert and delicate, throwing off the rest of her face. He was surprised about how he preferred her that way. What a strange woman.

As he walked from the room, he wondered absentmindedly if she was a Jinn.

()()()()

The room was flooded with light when she woke. Her muscles ached and her neck was burning from keeping it tilted for so long. When she stood, her feet were greeted with cool flooring. Her eyes saw the flash of green from the corner of her eye.

She smiled when the dress came into view. It was plainer than the extravagant others he had gifted to her and she ran a hand across the stitching to the side. The dress settled nicely to her form and as she spun to look at her reflection in the mirror, the fluttering of paper. Made her look down.

A handwritten note contrasted with the floor and she reached out to read it. Her eyes scanned the words, scrawled quickly but still remained beautiful. Her mouth open in a silent awe. Her bare feet raced from the room and tore the door open, startling the maid about to hesitantly knock.

Kagome sprinted past the halls and doors and people until she reached the large doors, marking the end of the palace. With much tugging and a little assistance from two helpful guards, the doors opened and she flashed forward. Once firmly placed atop the staircase, she spotted the mass of men gathered in the palace square. Even from her high perch, a flash of white hair was visible. She could feel the air rush from her lungs as she stood there, fruitlessly trying to regain her breath.

She wanted to franticly wave but chose instead to wait. She needn't wait long.

He glanced up at her and when he stilled attaching his saddlebag, the other soldiers halted and followed their Lord's eyes to the wide staircase. A few gasped but most just looked on in awe at the woman that towered above them all.

Sesshomaru applauded himself for the dress choice. The green mixed beautifully with the setting sun and gave a halo to her rich hair that tumbled, unbound, down her back. If anything, she looked the part of the Fey Queen with a dress made of moss and hair as wild as the wind.

He watched her every move and noticed as she looked up to the moon, a slightly visible orb in the sky. The sun had begun to dip below the horizon and he knew he would have to leave if they wanted to reach the forest before sunrise. He nodded once, assuring her he would not forget, before tearing their eyes apart and moving to fluidly mounting his grunting horse.

His men reluctantly looked away from the riveting sight she created, following their Lord's lead and mounting. Many looked back at her.

Sesshomaru refused to look back, focusing on the wide gate doors that opened with a loud groan. He moved forward at a brisk trot and knew he would savor hearing the ending of her story.

"Will you miss her?" One man asked and the others in his unit shot glares in his direction. The boy shook in his boots at the Lord. Sesshomaru just smirked, watching the people swarm around their party as they walked the streets. A few where lucky enough to catch view of their new Lady and he was surprised to hear the cheers that she produced.

He looked back once, her wide hair flapping behind her as she saw him off. The reigns bit into his palm as he answered the curious man's question.

"I think I will."

She took a few steps back. Her bare feet were red from the cold and she was swarmed with maids as she reentered the palace. The jeering remarks made by disgruntled maids caused her mouth to set into a grim line. She swatted them away when they tried to tie back her hair and cover her bare shoulders. She was not some delicate doll in need of protection.

With a resolute glare, she raised her chin and marched forward, looking for the man whom they told her had everything she needed to do as Lady. They asked her to rest, telling her she needed the sleep and the rest if she was to provide a child. They seemed aghast when she snorted.

She was in no need of their rude remarks and their glares.

She was strong.

()()()()

_Dear Lady Kagome,_

_Sleep well in our bed and think of many stories to tell me when I return from squelching a rebellion to the East. Also, please wear the dress, it will match the eyes of this Fey King, don't you say?_

_Yours Truly,_

_Lord Sesshomaru_

**This has been a long time coming but finally, I'm done with this chapter! This story will have quite a few time skips because there is no way in hell I can write 1001 stories.**

**Read and review!**


	3. The Fox and the King, Part I

One Hundred and One Nights

Story Twelve: The Fox and the King

Kagome watched the maids bustle around her. The letter crinkled between her fingers as she walked, her expensive gown brushing the exquisite tile work as she moved forward. The head maid branched off from the others, her eyes cold and her fingers stiff.

"Milady," She tilted her head and Kagome simply smirked at the simple act of defiance. She nodded her head and the maid took it as an invitation to continue. "Your husband will be returning from battle. Red, the color of victory would be more appropriate. Not...white."

"White is the color of death," Kagome started, folding the crinkled paper into a square and slipping it into a slit in her dress. She gave a gentle smile to the scowling woman. "We are not going to celebrate bloodshed, we will morn it."

"Yes, Milady," She huffed in annoyance and marched back to her post and began stringing the large white fabric into the exposed rafters. The head maid was correct, she should have been decorating with red to welcome home the men who had shed blood in defense of their kingdom and Lord. Instead, she went against the direct orders of her supervisor and changed the plans pre-made for her.

"Lady Kagome! A messenger hawk!" A boy cried, his arm wrapped in thick leather while a beautiful bird perched on it. It's keen eyes followed her movement and when she brushed a hand down its chest to the small bundle wrapped around its leg, it keened and she smiled. The boy blushed.

She unrolled the parchment with shaking fingers. She wondered if she wanted news of her husbands survival or of his death.

Dear, Lady Kagome

I hope all is well and that sleep finds you easily. I can not be graced with such a small mercy. It seems as if heaven and hell alike wish me to watch as they make their rounds. I think often of your story. I can no longer bare the drab tales spun by soldiers at night, for they are but waves to the ocean. This of course was an attempt to falter you but relating you to the vastness of the ocean.

I do hope you did not take it that you are overweight.

Yours Truly, Lord Sesshomaru

She questioned the release of the tight pressure in her chest.

()()()()

Sesshomaru shot a glare to the man riding to his right. The King to the East had met with his group just after dispatching a mass of rebels. His men were not only exhausted, but also running low on supplies. He had asked to house his troops in the King's castle only to be tasked with protecting the King on his journey to Sesshoamru's land to meet his wife. The man was despicable.

"So, is she beautiful?" He asked for the six time in the span of two hours. Sesshomaru nodded briskly but the huff of annoyance for the King raised his sour mood a bit. It flat lined again when a soldier chimed in.

"She is unbelievable! With hair as lush as chestnuts and skin as rich as the forest itself!"

"She smiles like sunshine and laughs like bells!" Another called, shouting over his friend.

"She's tall and broad, strong enough to take on six armed men!" One called, laughing. Sesshomaru smiled knowing his bride would have agreed with only one of the said statements.

"She must be some woman," The King laughed. Sesshomaru could feel the kernel of jealousy swirling around in his gut. The only thing consoling him from brutally murdering the King was the small shred of trust. It whispered that, unlike most of the King's concubines, Kagome would not be swayed by his money or lavish lifestyle.

"She is," Was his quiet reply.

()()()()

"Milady, I am severely against this idea," The head maid hissed, her rancid breath making Kagome's toes curl. She sighed with extravagance and felt the press of expensive fabric to her stomach. The dress was a navy blue, rich and deep. She'd had liked the way it made her waist look narrower.

"Than it is a good thing you will not be held responsible," She raised her chin when the horns sounded in the pavilion below. She clasped her hands together and walked briskly to the door. The men slid it open on well oiled hinges.

Her strut became smoother as she gained confidence. The pallor of her skin darkened when she note her husband was uninjured and well. He deftly untied his saddle and handed it to a waiting servant who bustled off to have it stored. Her shoes were causing her trouble on the steps and she reached down to tug them off.

She handed them to a Ladies maid to her right, who's eyes widened when her mistress's shoes were shoved into her arms. The woman moved more quickly now, the corner of her gown clutched tightly in one palm, her husband's latest letter in her other.

She slowed when they neared. Her hand dropped and her hem slipped to the ground. By now, a few men noticed the flushed woman and her lack of shoes. She moved forward to Sesshoamru, his back facing her as she marched forward.

She was getting rather annoyed that horses and men continued to step in her way. Just as she was about to reach out to brush a finger across his arm, another hand took her out reached hand, bringing it up to wet lips. Kagome watched the he man smile before her. Her mood spoiled by the look in the man's eyes.

"You must be the lovely Lady Kagome," He placed another kiss to her hand and she glanced over to Sesshomaru. He had spun around at her name and his eyes widened when he took in her state of dress. Her gown was dragging on the ground for her lack of shoes and her cheeks were a rosy pink hidden under a line of sun-made freckles that had spread across her nose. Her hair was spiraling across her face and down her back. Tho the thing that caught his breath was that she was smiling right at him. The hand encased in the king's grip was tugged free when she pulled lightly to place a hand on his cheek.

"Welcome home," Her voice was light and airy. He leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. When he caught the disgruntled look shot to him by the King, he rested his mouth by her ear. "Do not be mad."

"What did you do that would anger me?" He whispered. She bit her lip and bobbed her head in the direction of his home. A single eyebrow raised into his bangs and she just rubbed her neck and lead the group up the stairs. He stoop beside her. "Do you not think yourself capable enough to plan a simple party?"

"I may have made it into more of a...remembrance of sorts," Before he could ask her what she meant, her feet took the steps two at a time and she slipping into the doors before the men reached the landing. He could feel his curiosity peeked.

As they reached the door, the lack of color struck him as odd. Every other time he had returned from battle, red streamers had greeted him at the gates. It became painfully apparent when the doors were opened and everything was covered in white. It was mourning.

His wife stood among the people gathered. He recognized them as the families of the men who died. A small smirk crossed his lips as he realized why she had apologized. He snuffed his chuckle, no need to seem morbid.

He stood before his wife. She was biting her lip with abaddon, looking anywhere but at the smirking male before her. When he reached out and pulled the skin from between her teeth, she shot him a withering glare. He simply nodded once, his point conveyed clearly.

"After this, I planned a banquet," She muttered, following him to their seats at the head of the tables. She absentmindedly took his offered elbow and the pair walked past awed men and women. "I invited veterans and those who recently lost someone. A few responded to my correspondence with...disdain, I suppose you could call it."

"And the others?" He asked, noticing the growing throngs of men and women, their dresses and gowns all rich colors that clashed wonderfully with the white backdrop. He applauded her vision and it seemed the King did as well. His eyes never wandered from her upturned face.

"They responded with vigor," She smiled, welcoming a poor merchant's wife to eat her fill when the woman looked at the lavishes with wide eyes. The born ruler held the delicate woman in her arms when she saw the printed portrait of her son displayed on a separate table laden with relics and mementos.

"Your wife is quite exquisite," The King reached for a glass of wine. He watched the Lady console the sobbing woman, the harsh lines of her painted face softening with a delicate smile. "From which noble house is she bore?"

"She is simply a council member's daughter," At the king's distraught gasp, Sesshomaru separated fingers from glass as he plucked the cup from the man to steal a sip before returning it. "Now can you see how truly breath-taking she is?"

The Lord left the gasping man in favor of greeting his surprise guests. Many forgot to bow when the spotted him, unsure how to act around someone they had forever been taught to fear. A woman wept at his broad shoulders and Kagome couldn't say she blamed her.

It was late into the evening when the gates were opened and the festivities flourished. Food stalls placed colorful flowers around their signs, men and women danced to the beat of poorly crafted drums. Powders were made and tossed, the hues saturating the white tapestries that adored he walls. It was only when midnight came, did the people wonder why they were celebrating.

Before he could stand and inform them, he looked to his left where his bride stood, her dress covered with splotches of red and yellow. He raised a hand to the raised dais and she sucked in a breath. Her shoes had been handed off and her bare feet cut clean lines in the dust covered floor.

The crowds quieted, their new Lady stood at heir helm, her disheveled hair fluttering in the cool night breeze. Her back was stiff and her mouth was curved into a stern line. It was only when she flashed a smile to her Lord that they saw the nervous twitch to her clasped hands or the rapid tapping of her foot.

"My people, you have never met me but I stand before you to tell you why you celebrate." She walked forward until her toes brushed the edge of the stage. The people leaned in close, whispering her words to those unlucky enough not to be in the packed ballroom. "So many are lost due to war and poverty. Tonight we celebrate, not their deaths, but their lives. So dance and sing for them and know that while the world my look gray after their loss, the world is only as interesting as the people in it."

Their cheers sounded out the door, down the steps, and into the night, her new subjects rejoicing in her wisdom and wiles. They called her name as she raised her arms up to the heavens, palms wide and head thrown back. Many imitated her, their howls of joy mingling with the cheers.

()()()()

"Impressive," The soft tone brushed the shell of her ear and made a revolting feeling curl in her stomach. She plastered a smile on her face and faced the King. His teeth were white and they shined in the darkness.

She had taken refuge from the calls and pledges that followed her the rest of the night. Her Lord smiled when she demanded they took shelter in their room. He let her retire, promising to return as soon as he saw his men found rest. Now she was blocked into a corner with this brute of a man.

"Thank you, Milord," She bowed politely and made to excuse herself. His arm snaked its way across her stomach and she could feel her resolve slipping. His fingers trailed the hem of the tie that held her dress snug. When she released a hiss of outrage he mistook it for a gasp of pleasure.

The fool.

The second he tried to press her to the wall, she brought her knee into his groin, his resounding grunt making her anger only grow. He pushed her away and brought his hand up. The smack across her face brought tears to her eyes.

The skin of her cheek burned and she could feel the tracks created from her crying. He stood over her, his eyes alight and his fists clenched. She had fallen, her dress splayed around her bare ankles. She brought her heel up and kicked him in the shin, hearing the crack made a twisted smile appear on her lips.

"You dare to attack me? The Lady of the West?" She stood proud, her back straitening even with the pain of falling. Her hip ached from landing on the ground but she raised her head, making sure he saw the glimmer of promise in her eye. "You will no longer be welcome in our home."

"Who do you think people will believe? A Lord's whore or a respected King?" He laughed, pulling himself up from the wall and watching as she refused to submit. "No one will think you were anything but willing."

"Sesshomaru will have your head."

He snorted, wiping the dust from his pant leg. When he straitened, her fist connected with his chin, a hard punch that make the shimmering anger in her gut release. He stumbled back, his lip splitting and his nose broken. He cried out and grasped the wall for support, meeting only the strong figure of the Lord.

A deep growl echoed in the empty hallway. The moon shimmered in the sky, the pale curtains fluttered in the night breeze. He watched the fear flash in his bride's eyes, realizing the compromising position he had found her in. He held up a hand to halt her, his lip twitching at the smell of blood. He spotted the torn skin on her cheek from where her earring had been pushed harshly into her skin. He shoved the revolting man from him before grabbing her chin.

His fingers shifted her head gently, tilting it to give him a better view of the injury. The small cut bled profusely and he carefully brushed the hair from her face. She grasped the fabric of his sleeve when his probing fingers pressed the side of the cut.

"Come," It left little room for discussion. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She was so damn close. She tugged lightly on his sleeve, her tired eyes drifting to half-mast. He wrapped his hand around her wrist and dragged her behind him.

"Please, let me explain!" She whispered, her voice light with fear. He just shot her a look. At her gasp, he looked forward again. No malice was in his gaze, if anything, he looked amused. Her palm pressed to the flesh of his hand before moving up to feel the steady thrum of his pulse. "What thoughts trouble your mind, milord?"

"Very good form," He replied, his voice light with amusement. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed the sick pleasure that had taken shape on the king's face. She wondered if he suspected Sesshomaru was playing him. "Do not appear too smug, I was expecting you to kill the poor bastard."

Her laugh was nearly snuffed but a delirious giggle slipped by. He smirked at her expression and the hand shoved in her mouth to bite back her outburst.

"Perhaps I shall keep you this way, quiet and still," He watched the candlelight bounce off the wrinkles formed at the corner of her lips. The shadows filled the hollows of her cheeks and made her eyes shine brightly, as if surrounded by kohl. At her amused snort, he waved his hand to indicate she could continuer to her room. "I will be up shortly. Pick your last story well, bride."

She ignored the shiver that raced down her spine at the remembrance that he held her life in the palm of his hand, his to flex and twist to suit his whims. The only reason the small smile remained on her lips was the teasing undertone his voice had taken while he said it. Both knew he was too enthralled at the moment to do much more than threaten.

Her thoughts pounded uncomfortable against her skull as she walked to her room.

She slipped into a bath upon entering her room, her coiled muscles loosened with the heat. The small fire to the side of the room was covered by a metal pail on which a huge cauldron sat, its metal legs holding scalding water. The boiling water rose into the air giving the room a heavy warmth that sunk into her bones. A few drunken couples stumbled past, their laughter at being in another's arms. She wondered if her husband even felt a slight affection for her.

Her nightgown clung in places but she ignored it in favor of opening the grand windows to let in the breeze. With the room cast into shadows and moonlight, she waited for a while, turning to catch the opening of their door. She smiled at her Lord shuffling across the cold floor to their warm bed.

"What have you for me?" He tired to sound excited but only managed to make her smile slip from her face. She kicked off the thick comforter and and rose to meet him in the center of the room. While she refused to comfort him, she did tilt her head to show her concern. He simply shook his head and gestured to the bed. She strutted forward and poured a glass of wine. He chuckled darkly.

"Do I amuse you?" She asked, withdrawing her outstretched hand. The glass of wine was pulled back to her chest and her expression of worry melted into one of anger. She threw the glass back, a small trickle of wine dribbling from the corner of her mouth to trail down the strong column of her throat only to pool in her clavicle. He watched its progress with rapt attention. When she shoved the now empty cup back into his hand, he could only smirk.

"The elven lord fell on the blade of the lost elven queen." She ended with an abrupt and solemn sentence. She moved on to start another story when his growl made her stop. She looked over her shoulder and frowned when she spotted his bared teeth, demanding she correctly finish the story. "Why? You already know the ending."

"Why do you act like so?" He demanded, not touching her but remain close enough he brushed her awareness. It made a shiver sliver down her spine but in fear or excitement was unclear. She looked away, seeming enthralled by the woodwork on the walls. "Answer me."

"Why do you look down upon my emotions?" She demanded, her voice holding all the steel in his. Her outburst startled him and he moved back a fraction of a second. She took advantage and shoved her face forward, their furious expressions distanced only by a breaths width.

He was silent, testing her words on his tongue. They appeared authentic enough with her wild screech and blood filled cheeks. He just sighed, pressing a hand back to rest his body on a support column. She shifted back to remain far enough away. If she hadn't look so distressed by his actions earlier, he might have laughed.

"I only meant to convey that feelings of kindness very rarely happen in places such as these, built by deceptions and lies," He reached out, tucking a stand of wet hair behind her head, delicately so as to not touch her skin. "It is refreshing."

"Yes well I refuse to continue our story. It is dull and I have lost interest," She waved behind her as she moved from the embrace of his arms. Sesshomaru watched the walls he had carefully tore down rebuild themselves.

"Is that to be the future for me, my dear?" He asked, following her around the room. He watched the wet fabric cling to the small of her back and the tops of her breasts.

"Only if you continue calling me dear," She confided. With a final point, he took a chair from the table and sat down, his royal robes beginning to grate on his nerves. Almost as if she were in his thoughts, she moved forward, grabbing the ties to his outmost garment.

"If you had wished for me to undress, all you must do is ask," He watched the woman snort before yanking on his back. He stood let the fabric slid from his arms and into hers.

"I hardly think we know each other well enough to banter about something as...matrimonial as sex," Even if her words were strong, he caught the blush that dusted her cheeks. He wondered if she had ever helped her father undress, did she know what to do?

"Matrimonial? You seem to have forgotten that in the eyes of the thousands of people out your window, you are a married woman," He watched the trepidation set in her eyes. He knew she was still worried about displeasing the masses. With a sigh, she pushed her insecurities down and strengthened her resolve.

"Now if only I could find the right man," She flashed him a grin and he followed the sway of her hips as she walked to the hangers placed on the wall. She folded the fabric just so as not to wrinkle it before draping it over the hangers. Her agile fingers caught his eye as she worked. He waited, a trait her rarely used, and it payed off when she realized why he silenced.

"Tonight is the start of the harvest season. I shall tell you of the Fox and the Man." She moved over to his desk, arranging his papers just so. He noticed she liked fiddling with anything she could grab when spinning her tales. "There once was a man who traveled across the world to find a bride. He would ask local men and kings alike, and many agreed, bringing forth their ripest daughters for his inspection. They all failed.

"You see, he was very wealthy, and his face was marveled at across the land. Some claimed the kami's created him for the sole purpose to warm lonely women's beds. Sadly, he was just a very rich man with very attractive features. Remind you of anyone?" She asked quietly, throwing a grin over her shoulder as she relit the candles that had been blown out. "As he left the final home of a King who had offered his eldest, he had given up and planed to return home. It was along the road he was traversing that fate intervened.

"A fox darted from the tall grasses, its tawny hide bloodied. The driver was preparing to run it over when the man called out, silencing the man. He convinced the fox to forgo running in favor of getting the strips of raw meat he had purchased from the King. After caring for the animal, bandaging its side, it fell into sleep. Upon returning home, he demanded the fox a pillow in his room so he could monitor the creature until he fell asleep.

"All was as he asked," She moved out to the balcony, her hair getting picked up by the slight breeze. He watched in fascination as her face contorted. He noted with a start she was creating this as she went. "It was in the middle of the night that a light shone brightly in his curtain-drawn room. Fearing for his life, he raced to the fox's bed only to find it empty. A voice asked just why he risked saving a dying animal and nursing it back to health. The King did not reply.

"The voice called agin, repeating the question but getting only silence. Finally, he spoke. "The creature was an innocent" he called, asking for himself and the animal to be spared. The voice only laughed. Soon the light faded and the man watched in amazement at the creature that walked forth.

"That is it for tonight," She concluded her night. He knew it would be pointless to argue. She would only end tonight's story as she did the last one. He lifted the covers of her side and she slid under, her face buried into the plush pillow. He ran a hand across her cheek and smiled when she nuzzled it quickly before falling into a deep slumber, content in the knowledge that her protector was but an arms length away.

**Finals this week. What a joy.**


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